Palette
by cronashy-absentia
Summary: (SUSPENDED) In an alternate timeline, the Star Clan lived. They kill anyone who finds out too much about them. You're not even safe if you just know one of their names. I joined the DWMA to destroy them, to get my revenge. Still, that one blue-haired boy seems... Different. But his corrupted clan is alive and strong. You're not safe. (Tsubaki's POV, TsuStar.)
1. It Rained

_**What if they lived?**_

**I asked myself this question, and then my imagination came up with an answer: Write a fanfic about it! So here I am, writing a fic about what would've happened if Black*Star had been brought up by his Clan. Follow and review, guys, we've got a long way to go!**

**Cronashy-absentia presents to you:**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 1: It Rained**

* * *

Water pounded from the heavens, drenching the earth below and announcing the start of the rainy season. A single droplet slipped down a path of leaves until it eventually landed in the small basin of a curved leaf. That one tiny, insignificant drop was what caused the contents of the leaf to spill, pouring down through the tree's branches.

It had been raining for nearly a week by then, and some joked that they wouldn't see the sun again until the end of July. White knew that wasn't true, though. The sun would certainly come; he predicted that the clouds would clear up within the next few days. Rain was no excuse to not do your duty, though.

"But it is!" Green yelled at him. "I'm supposed to snuff out that one guy when he takes his evening walk, right? He's not gonna walk if it's raining!"

White glared at Green, grabbing his scarf and pulling his younger brother up to his face. "So?" He growled. "Get him anyway! Go to his house or something; I don't care! That man's allied with Shibusen and keeps getting closer to finding our camp!"

Green jerked away, glaring back with equal ferocity. "Look, White," He snapped, "I don't care if you're the clan leader, heck, I don't even care that you're my brother. Right now, you're just being a thick-headed dictator. It's cold, it's raining, and I'm tired. Plus, I don't even know where the target lives. I'll get him soon, just when it's not raining," He muttered, turning his back to White.

The clan leader's green eyes bored into the back of Green's head as he pulled a kuni knife from his belt. Disobedient subordinates had to be punished to uphold clan order. If one person ignored the chieftain's commands and escaped unscathed, who was to stop the clan from falling into chaos? People would go their own way, eventually getting themselves killed if they disregarded White's guidance. Of course it wasn't because White liked his position of inherited power over the strongest group of assassins in Japan. Far from it. He did what was best for them.

White raised his knife, preparing to throw it at Green's shoulder. The blow wouldn't be fatal, but it would be enough to keep his brother from objecting to his leader's will again. However, before White could release his weapon, a sound stopped him. He turned his head around when he heard it; the familiar wail of his three-month-old son. Lowering his arm, White moved to face his wife and son, who had just emerged from their tent behind him. The flap that functioned as the doorway to their "room" fluttered slightly in the wind.

"White?" Grey said softly, holding their bundled child close, "He's freezing. Can you start a fire?"

White's eyes flickered over to Green, who was chatting with a few other Clan members in front of his tent. After a minute, the ivory-haired ninja sighed. Taking care of the future heir to Star Clan was more important than punishing a renegade. He'd deal with Green later; right now, he had his son to take care of.

"Get him under the awning," The clan leader murmured. "I'll see if I can find some dry firewood and light a fire under there."

As Grey nodded, carrying their child as she was instructed, Green watched her.

"White's more affectionate with that kid than he ever was to his own wife," He grumbled to the two beside him while White quickly got a fire going. As he sat next to him, White smiled at his son. Green clucked his tongue. "See? He never smiles like that at Grey. Darn kid's gonna grow up spoiled."

White gently brushed his son's blue hair away from his young face. "Warm up, Black," He murmured, "The clan can't have their future star catching a cold."

Black's wide green eyes stared up at his father, unaware of the extreme twist that his fate had taken that day, or how drastically the rain would change his future.

Because it rained, Green didn't leave on his fateful mission, one that would've seen him captured. He would've been interrogated regarding his clan's whereabouts and weaknesses before being executed. Hundreds of troops from the DWMA would've been sent to Japan, resulting in the extermination of the entire Star Clan, all except one, who would've been raised by Sid Barrett rather than his true father. White would've escaped, but then he would end up falling into depression at the loss of his entire clan. He would've resorted to eating souls as his drug, which, in turn, would lead to his kishin transformation and eventual death by Mifune's sword.

But none of that happened.

Because it rained.

* * *

When I was sixteen, those events had transpired over fourteen years ago. The name of Star Clan was only uttered in hushed conversations in the dark. My brother talked about them, boasting that he knew someone who had been imprisoned by the Star Clan but had made it out alive. Mother and Father told him to hush whenever he brought up the topic, saying that to speak of that ninja tribe was to summon them to your door. I should've believed them.

After Mother and Father had gone to bed, I asked Masamune to tell me about the clan by candlelight.

"What's their purpose?" I whispered. "They seem like just wild assassins."

Masamune shook his head. "They do assassinate for their own purposes, but it's mostly to get rid of any who object or oppose them. Some seek them out as mercenaries," He explained. Intrigued, I leaned forward. Masamune chuckled at my wide eyes as he continued, "Actually, others say that it's the Star Clan that truly rules Japan. Despite being such a small group, they can do whatever they want."

He would tell me of some of their most infamous assaults, what their leader was like, and of their goals and weapons. These quiet lectures continued for weeks. During this time, I chose to ignore the change that was coming over my brother, until it stared me right in the face; Masamune idolized the Star Clan.

When I confronted him about it one night, he didn't even try to deny it.

"They're so strong, Tsubaki," He told me, "So powerful. If I could be like them, maybe even join them, no one would be able to stand up to me," He said. A manic smile was slowly spreading across his face, causing me to shrink back a little. "I could bring you, and Father and Mother. They'd change your names to a color, but that's not a big deal. I'd be strong. I'd be feared. I wouldn't be looked down on anymore!" He grinned, looking up at me. His pupils had dilated immensely. I gulped.

"Masamune?" I said softly, reaching out and touching his arm. "It's… It's getting late. Maybe we should go to bed?" I suggested, helping him stand. He chuckled a little, but said nothing as I led him out of my room and gently set him down on his mat before pulling the covers up and over him.

My brother was going mad, but it was only the following day when my entire world shattered.

"Tsubaki," Mother began as she dusted the shelves, "Have you put any more thought into enrolling at Shibusen?"

I flinched; she brought up this topic a lot, and the answer as the same every time, yet she still asked.

I shook my head, not meeting her eye while I helped her. "I don't want to go there," I replied. Mother opened her mouth as if to speak, but I continued. "I know what you're going to say. We've been over this," I murmured, "You want me to carry the family name to Shibusen. I'm this generation's Dark Arm; a weapon with multiple forms, and I should be proud of that," I sighed. "But I don't want to fight, Mother. I'm perfectly fine with being safe here at home." I avoided saying that I was scared of what I might encounter as a DWMA student. I would have to move to an entirely new country, meet new people, and fight demons to the death. There was a slim chance that I would find a meister who was strong enough to convince me to overcome my fears, as well. I didn't want to risk stepping out of my comfort zone.

Mother frowned. "Tsubaki, it's a matter of honor-!" She was about to continue, and would've probably convinced me to leave for the Academy, had Father not slammed the sliding door open and interrupted her. His eyes were wide and dry, his breath coming in quick pants as if he had just run a long distance. With gasps of alarm, Mother and I both rushed to him.

"Sanjuro!" Mother cried, wrapping her arms around him, "What happened? What's wrong?!"

I put my arm around Father's shoulders as he struggled to find his words.

"Mas… Masamune…" He rasped, gasping for breath. His next words were uttered very quietly, but they fell like a bomb upon the household.

"Masamune has been murdered."

I was running seconds after he finished. My legs carried me down the path and into town, and my heart pounded in my ears. It couldn't be true. My brother couldn't be dead. He was my source of strength, my courage…

I stopped abruptly. A crowd was gathered in front of an alleyway, blocking me from seeing what was inside. Normally I would've been too shy to even tap on someone's shoulder. This was different though. I barreled through, shoving aside the neighbors to get to the scene in front of me. Police blocked the entrance to the alley, but I caught a glimpse of what was beyond them.

That was definitely his hair, and it was drenched with blood.

I remember letting out an inhuman scream before throwing myself at the policemen to try and shove past them.

"Let me through!" I shrieked, throwing all my weight into trying to overpower them. "That's my brother in there! THAT'S MY BROTHER!"

Although they held me back, I got a view of what was beyond them through my tears. Masamune lay on his back, his face to the ground, with his arms twisted at unnatural angles. His shirt had been ripped off and his hair pulled away from his back, revealing the mark of his murderers. Every other memory of that day slips out of focus when I remember that scar, which still haunts my dreams.

Masamune's murderers had slashed a star across his back.

My brother had been killed by the Star Clan.

Perhaps it was because he knew too much. Maybe someone had commissioned them to kill him because they feared him. Whatever the reason, by elder brother was dead.

My entire body shook as I screamed again. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing more tears out. Mother had come up behind me and wrapped her arms around me, trying to comfort us both, but I didn't want comfort. I wanted to hold my brother. I wanted him to look up at me with those dark eyes of his and promise me that he'd be all right. I wanted him to be alive.

Slowly, I realized that I was beginning to feel an emotion unfamiliar to me. Whatever it was, it was blazing through my soul, filling me with strength that I didn't know I had. Suddenly it dawned on me; I wanted revenge. I wanted to see my brother's murderer put through just as much pain as Masamune felt. I wanted to carve the outline of a Camelia flower into the back of that Star Clan scum so the rest of his clan would see my hatred. No… I wanted them all gone. None of them moved without the okay of their leader, so if White*Star ordered someone to do so, any one of his clan members was capable of something like this. They all deserved to die.

"Mother," I choked out. I felt her head move against my back, and I knew she was listening. "Mother… I'm going to join the DWMA." I heard her gasp, but I continued, "I can train there, and once I'm strong enough," My tear-filled eyes narrowed, "I'll avenge Masamune."

"I will destroy Star Clan."


	2. A Moment's Hesitation

**You like the 1****st**** chapter? There's plenty more where that came from, so follow to keep up with it, and fave and review because I'm saying please :3 I just realized that the tones of the author's notes completely contrast with that of the story… Oh well. (By the way, Sid' still alive in this fic, as it's set a year before he's killed.)**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 2: A Moment's Hesitation**

* * *

"Tsubaki Nakatsukasa."

I gulped. Despite his comical voice, to hear your name spoken by the Grim Reaper is rather terrifying. "Y-yes sir?" I said in reply, trying my best to keep his gaze. This proved difficult as well, as Lord Death had no pupils to focus on. I couldn't exactly tell where he was looking.

"It has come to my attention that you've had a few bumps in the road during your stay at my Academy. Is this true?" Asked the Lord Death, tilting his head to the side a little. I noted that due to his lack of facial expression, the Reaper seemed to better portray his emotions through body language.

I nodded in response to his question. "Yes sir," I repeated.

Lord Death seemed to be watching me carefully. "According to our records, you've been a student here for three months. But in that time, you've had… What was that number again, Death Scythe?"

The redhead next to him took his eyes off of me for a second and looked towards Lord Death. "Seven, sir," He told him.

"Ah. Yes," Lord Death continued, "Seven. You've had seven meisters in three months, including your current meister, Taylor Linde."

My gaze turned to the floor. "Yes…" I said softly, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Well, why is that?" The Grim Reaper inquired. "Are you being disagreeable?" Death Scythe looked towards some papers in his hand.

"Actually, according to reports by her previous meisters, it's just the opposite," He explained. "They said that she was _too _compliant, not being as aggressive as they thought a weapon should be. Her timidity caused her to not completely fulfill the role of defending her meisters."

Lord Death looked confused. "That's it? They don't like her just because she's a doormat?" He asked. I looked towards him again, feeling slightly put off.

Death Scythe shook his head. "That's part of it, but there's more. A few went on to say that her soul's rather weak, which didn't let her easily move with Soul Energy and made Soul Resonance have little more strength than their regular attacks," He added. "Also, they confessed that the manipulation of her multiple weapon forms was difficult."

I nodded. "That's true," I said, finally speaking up, albeit quietly. "Some of my meisters told me that if they didn't use all of my forms, I wasn't reaching my full potential as a Dark Arm. However," I sighed, "They also said that it's hard to know when the right time to switch is. Even a moment's hesitation in switching forms can cause a fight to end badly."

Lord Death nodded. "I can understand that," He said.

Death Scythe frowned. "Wait, something's still got me confused," He stated, pointing at me. His face reflected his bewilderment. "You had to have some sort of crazy enthusiasm to learn English as fast as you did. But if you're that timid and as much of a pushover as your meisters claim, then why the heck did you ever think that coming to the DWMA was a good idea? Let's face it, any mission could be your last," He sighed. "So what are you doing here?"

My frown vanished from my face, replacing itself with a grimace. "I heard that the Star Clan was being hunted down by Shibusen."

Death Scythe raised an eyebrow while folding his arms over his chest. "Yeah; the Japanese police gave us the job of hunting them down because the Clan's too strong for them," He said. Lord Death nodded in confirmation.

"Normally, we wouldn't hunt human beings," He admitted, "But even though they've never consumed any human souls, the Star Clan is highly dangerous. If you cross them, it's kill swiftly or be killed swiftly. They're Japan's elite mercenaries and assassins, so the country called in the world's elite crime fighters," Stated the Grim Reaper. "Of course, that'd be us. Naturally, we don't feed their souls to our weapons, as they're not kishin eggs, but they're just as dangerous. That still doesn't explain why you joined the Academy, though."

Death Scythe narrowed his eyes a little. "If you joined to duke it out with that Clan, I'm gonna flat out tell ya right now: you don't have a chance at your level," He said flatly. "You don't have a permanent mesiter, and you're comparable to a butterfly for a lot of reasons. What makes you think you can take on one of them?"

My fists clenched at my sides. "I joined this Academy to get stronger," I shot back. Death Scythe's eyes widened, obviously surprised by my sudden change in attitude. When I picked my head up to glare at him, he even shied back a little. "After I get stronger, there are three things I need to do," I said, holding up three fingers and lowering them as I spoke, "I need to fight the Star Clan. I need to destroy them. And I need to avenge my brother!" I ended in a shout as my closed fingers formed a tight fist.

Death Scythe was taken aback, but Lord Death appeared unfazed. "I see," Spoke the Reaper after a moment of silence in which I brought my fist down and relaxed slightly. "I suspected as much."

The scythe beside him whipped around to stare at him. "What? How?!" He exclaimed, looking frazzled.

Lord Death didn't take his hollow eyes off of me. "I had heard of your brother, Masamune. I had also realized that you came to my school very soon after his death. It could've been seen as coincidence, and that you just discovered your weapon abilities shortly after his death, but most weapons reach that stage around thirteen. Therefore, I concluded that your arrival must either be related to Masamune's death, or you were simply a late bloomer," He shrugged idly. "Seems as if one of my assumptions was right."

I turned my gaze to the floor once again. "Yes sir," I said, having reverted back to my normal timidity.

"That's why I'm having you sent on a mission to hunt a member of Star Clan."

Death Scythe and I both exclaimed simultaneously, "WHAT?!"

Lord Death looked between us both. "What do you mean, 'what?' I thought it was a fairly simple concept."

Death Scythe stuttered, stumbling over his words, "But… We've been over this! She keeps on getting ditched by her meisters, she's weak, and she's hard to handle! What makes you think that her and an amateur like Linde could get the soul of a Star Clan member?!" He stammered.

The Reaper turned back to me. With a sudden and invasive feeling, I could sense him staring at my soul.

"I believe," He spoke slowly, "That when put in the right situation, Tsubaki's true strength will shine through." I swore I could hear a smile in his voice. "There's a fire that lies dormant within her soul. If that's unleashed, this young woman could be an unstoppable force. I want that fire tapped into. I want you too not only feel, but _see _your potential, Nakatsukasa."

I bowed in respect. "Thank you, sir," I murmured, "I accept the mission."

* * *

My meister and I received the details of our mission later that day.

"We're to leave as soon as possible for Japan," Taylor read the paper out to himself, "Your target has been spotted in the forests closet to Osaka. If possible, capture the ninja without killing them, so they may be questioned by the DWMA and direct us to the rest of their clan."

My eyes hardened. I had had no intention of letting that filth survive, but orders were orders. Still, if the target "just happened" to die, it wouldn't be a great loss in my opinion.

Taylor looked over at me with his light brown eyes. He was slightly shorter than me, so his gaze had to travel upward to meet mine. He beamed at me brightly. "It's our first mission! Don't look so tense; be excited!"

I nodded swiftly. "Of course. Sorry," I apologized softly. Taylor frowned a little.

"It's nothing to apologize for, Tsu," He assured me, using a nickname he thought he had coined. Unbeknownst to him, Masamune had called me that a lot. It hurt slightly to hear someone else say it, but I didn't voice my insecurities. I never voiced much of anything.

"Oh. Okay," I whispered, turning away. I heard Taylor sigh, and I felt that he would've spoken again if an announcement hadn't sounded through the airport.

"Boarding for flight 113A for Osaka. First and business classes, you may now board the aircraft."

Taylor stood, grabbing his carry-on while offering me his other hand. I reached out to take it, but then I pulled back, shaking my head. I sighed, standing up without his help. My meister seemed slightly disappointed, but he quickly shook it off, adopting a positive smile once more as he led the way to the line.

DWMA students always flew first class, courtesy of Lord Death. I leaned back in my chair as soon as I was seated, facing away from Taylor and choosing instead to watch outside the window. The aforementioned black-haired teen chatted eagerly.

"Have you ever been to Japan before? Well, of course you have, you're Japanese. You're really lucky; I've seen pictures, and Japan seems like such a pretty country. Did you ever go to cherry blossom festivals? Do you think we'll see your family?"

I winced at his last question. I didn't really _want_ to see my family; I couldn't face Mother or Father yet. I hadn't fulfilled my promise for revenge, nor was I a strong and successful weapon yet. They needed to see progression, otherwise I wasn't worthy of returning. Although, it wasn't as if my parents entirely supported my desire for revenge, in reality they advised against it. But I had promised myself that I wouldn't show my face around them until I had completed my "duty."

When I didn't reply, Taylor quieted again. Most of the rest of the long flight was spent in that same silence.

* * *

"We're actually here," Taylor smiled, walking towards the woods. "I'm really looking forward to this. It's a real test of our strength, you know? But I'm sure we can do it," He beamed.

I nodded in response as we entered the forest. It was thick, with tall, dark trees. After resting for a single night in Osaka, my meister had been eager to start our mission at the crack of dawn. Morning mist still coated the path, and the grass and dirt beneath our feet was wet with dew. Birdsong filled the air as the early birds chirped their symphonies to the rising sun.

I directed my sight towards Taylor. "You know," I said softly, "You should probably be quieter. If our target's here, then we don't want them to hear us coming." Normally I wouldn't have been as bold to give my meister even a suggestion, but this was important. One wrong move when fighting a true ninja, like a Star Clan member, could get you killed.

Taylor looked over at me, meeting my gaze for a moment. His smile became sheepish as he silenced his footfalls. "Oh right. Thanks, Tsu," He shot me a thumbs-up. I nodded once more. I did that a lot, but it was a good way to end a conversation without actually saying anything, so I took it as an easy way out.

Suddenly I halted in my tracks. Something was off. "Taylor," I said in a hushed voice, "Do you hear that?"

The younger teen stopped walking. He turned his head back and forth, trying to hear something, but he frowned after a moment. "I don't hear anything," He admitted.

My eyes narrowed. "That's it," I replied. "The birds are gone."

At that moment, a single sound penetrated the silent forest. Taylor didn't hear it, but I had been trained all my life to detect it, and there was no mistaking the sound of metal rushing through air. It created its own small movement of wind that produced the tiniest of sounds.

I grabbed Taylor's arm without warning, pulling him away and out of the weapon's path. He gasped in surprise, but a sort of grim realization filled his eyes when a shuriken embedded itself in the ground where he had been standing fragments of a second ago.

My gaze whipped around to the treetops, glaring daggers at the spot where the projectile had come from, but nothing was there.

"Tsubaki, chain scythe!" Exclaimed Taylor, holding out his hands. I nodded, never taking my eyes off the trees as my body became wrapped in gold light. I became that light for a split second, and for that small moment, my body had no form. Oddly enough, I loved that sensation. I felt so free, as if my soul was no longer bound to this world or its hurtful feelings of revenge and loss.

Doubt began to creep into my mind. "_Do you really want revenge?_" It whispered. It was strange, but sometimes I felt as if my doubt sounded more like me than my own thoughts.

I didn't have much time to reflect on my concerns, however. The weightless sensation was gone as soon as it had come, and my body gained form and gravity once more as my kusarigama landed in Taylor's waiting hands.

"_No second thoughts_," I scolded myself, "_This is your chance to get revenge, Tsubaki. You finally get to slit the throat of one of those Star Clan murderers._"

Taylor's eyes snapped around, but our attacker was nowhere to be seen.

It was then that the boy jumped down from the trees.

He landed skillfully, squatting on the ground before springing up to attack us with the black dagger he wielded.

The first thing I noticed about this boy was his hair. It was blue and stuck out in all directions, as if a chunk of the sky had crashed on his head, but it still managed to be somewhat adorable despite being attached to a member of the Star Clan. His green eyes shone like miniature stars themselves, with a strong ferocity and confidence. But the more I watched and felt my meister deflect his attacks, the more I felt doubt begin to creep back into my thoughts.

"_He's just a boy_," I realized with a jolt.

"_But he's Star Clan!_" I protested, "_Just look at his eyes!_"

"_But he's just a boy!_" I yelled back at myself. I shook away my thoughts and focused my energy on helping Taylor. I didn't have much physical energy in weapon form, but if my soul assisted his, Taylor could have an easier time wielding me and with greater strength.

Taylor extended my chain, which met the boy's dagger and held it. It scraped against my metal, but I was able to bear it. In our current position, it wouldn't be difficult to switch my form to that of my ninja sword, stab forward, and catch the Star Clan member in the heart. Evidently, Taylor had the same idea.

"Tsubaki, ninja sword!" He shouted, his voice strained. But I was still having second thoughts about killing a mere boy.

I hesitated.

The boy lodged his dagger free abruptly, pulling it around and stabbing upward. Taylor didn't have a chance.

Horror filled my eyes at the sight of blood. Taylor's hands suddenly released their grip, and I shifted back into my human form quick enough to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Taylor?" I breathed, staring at his face. His eyes had turned upward, looking at nothing. The blue-haired ninja's dagger protruded from my former meister's chest. "TAYLOR!" I screamed, shaking him.

"What's the big deal? He's dead, that's it," Scoffed the Star Clan boy. I whipped around, rage filling my eyes, right before he hit me soundly on the head. The world spun for a moment before it went entirely dark.


	3. Body and Mind

**Taylor Linde's name is actually a reference. I mixed up the words a bit, but Lind L. Taylor was a character from Death Note that had about a minute of screen time before he died. Taylor's name was actually foreshadowing that he wasn't going to last long ;) Rate and review, guys. Onward to chapter 3! Oh, and I'll eventually explain why Black*Star's just being called "Black" at the moment. Rate and review, everybody!**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 3: Body and Mind**

* * *

The first thing I became aware of was the sound of grinding metal. The second thing I noticed was that my head was pounding, and that sound wasn't helping. I tried to pull my hands up to cover my ears, but it was then that I felt the chains tightly encompassing my wrists, tight enough that I couldn't feel my hands.

Panic struck me. My eyes snapped open as I rapidly shoved off unconsciousness, breathing heavily into the grass on which I laid. I couldn't see much from my position on the ground, but I could see tents and traveling legs. More sounds filled my head; voices both loud and soft, barked commands, the crackling of a nearby fire, the clang of sharpening weapons, and boots clamping along the ground all around me. My heart thumped rapidly in my ears, and every noise fell as a sharp jolt of pain upon my headache. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it all out. I didn't notice the footsteps growing closer and closer until I felt a cold hand on my neck.

"Good catch, Black. She's a real beaut," I heard the hand's owner snicker.

My eyes opened again to glare at him. It was a young man with a dark mask around his eyes. I sat up abruptly, knowing that my hands were literally tied, so I instinctively snapped at him with my teeth. The ninja jerked back, the sneer gone from his face. His look quickly became one of malice.

"And she nearly just bit me," He growled, standing. "Black!" He called, walking away from me. "Get over here and bring your old man; your prisoner's awake."

_Prisoner._

I turned my gaze to the floor, my harsh expression falling. I had realized it upon feeling the chains around my wrists, but the full force of my situation only then set in. My former target, after killing Taylor and knocking me unconscious, had taken me back to his camp, making me a prisoner of the very clan I had vowed to destroy. If I said that being a captive of the Star Clan was a step backwards from my goals of wiping them out, it'd be a terrible understatement.

But maybe I could turn the situation in my favor, I realized. I was inside their camp; I could learn to know my enemy. The more I knew about them, the easier they could be killed.

"_But the more I know about them_," I gulped, remembering Masamune, "_The higher the chance that they could feel driven to kill me._"

I glanced down at my hands once more. They were tightly wrapped in chains, tight enough that I'd still be captive even if I transformed. The constricting metal had caused my hands to go numb. I followed the chain with my eyes, and I discovered that it was hammered under a stake in the ground nearby. I could maybe get it out, but not without feeling in my hands.

Two pairs of boots came closer, stopping near the stake. One of them, the smaller set, had large star emblems in the end of each shoe. I glared at the cursed symbol.

"Black," Snapped the taller. "Get her to face me."

"Yeah," The younger spoke. This was followed by what sounded like a slap to the back of the head. Grumbling something, the younger voice mumbled, "Yes sir."

My eyes widened when I recognized the voice as Taylor's killer, but then they narrowed once more. My soul swelled, livid, as I glared hard at the ground. I refused to meet the gaze of those fiends. However, I inhaled sharply in pain when suddenly I felt the one called "Black" grab my hair, his fingers digging into my scalp as he jerked my head upwards.

I found myself scowling into the face of a sinister-looking ninja. He wore the Star Clan emblem on a metal plate on his headband, and a mask covered his mouth and nose. His white hair was in a disarray that rivaled Black's own blue locks, but his eyes possessed a sort of hollowness that wasn't apparent in the younger ninja's irises. The white-haired man looked slightly surprised for a moment as he bent down to look at my face, but then he chuckled a little.

"Good job, Black," He said, reaching out to grab my chin in his gloved hand. I tried to jerk free, but his grip proved stronger than I expected. As I chose to simply glare at him further, I began to feel a sense of helplessness. Every threat I could give that Clan would be empty, and they would most definitely pull away before I got the chance to cause any of them physical harm.

While he held my head still, the white-haired ninja turned his gaze to face Black. "Her violet eyes are those of a Nakatsukasa." I saw his lips curve into a smirk beneath his mask, although his eyes retained their typical nonchalance.

"Hm?" Black asked. I felt like kicking him for that stupid tone of his. "What's that?"

Evidently, the elder ninja had the same idea. Barely breaking out of his squatted position, he lashed his leg out and caught Black square in the side. The blue-haired boy didn't flinch, but glared at the other ninja.

"Cut it out, Dad," He snapped. Now that he mentioned it, there was definite resemblance between the facial shapes of the two. I believed that I could have seen more similarities if the father didn't have a mask over most of his face.

"The Nakatsukasa," The white-haired ninja spoke slowly, removing his hand from my chin, "Are a family of demon weapons. Actually, you were there when Orange killed one of their strongest swords, Masamune. That was the first time I let you join in on as assassination, remember?"

My eyes widened at what I was hearing. Not only did he kill my meister, but that boy had been at the death of my brother. Rage seemed to possess me, and I suddenly acted out of fierce anger.

I whipped my head around, slamming my skull into Black's mouth. He cried out as he fell backwards, and I saw blood drip from his lower lip. His hand flew to his mouth as the boy scowled at me. I scowled back with equal ferocity, until I felt another hand grab my ponytail, hoisting me to my feet. The eyes of Black's father met mine once more, but their indifference was gone. Now they were filled with fury. He suddenly moved his arms, holding my neck between them so my head was pinned to his chest. I knew this move.

The white-haired ninja began kneeing me in the stomach. He started speaking, every word timed with another blow.

"Don't. You. Ever. Think. Of. Hurting. My. Son. Again," He growled. My abdomen ached and breathing was near impossible when he finished, unceremoniously dropping me to ground. I frantically tried to inhale as my attacker helped Black to stand.

"Hey, White! What's going on?" Another voice approached. The elder ninja, evidently named White, turned to face the newcomer.

"Black brought a hostage, Green," He explained, "A Nakatsukasa. I'm going to see if we can hold her for ransom, either from Shibusen or her family."

Green chuckled. "They're both pretty rich," He smirked. I closed my eyes, doing my best to block out their voices as I slowly became able to breathe. "Uh… Black, what happened to your lip?" Green added.

"The girl happened," White spat, none-too-gently jabbing my back with his boot. "I want her gone as soon as possible. Tell Blue to go to the city and get on a payphone. From there, she'll contact both Shibusen and the nearest Nakatsukasa house. I'll write down the numbers, but I want her to make a deal with the highest bidder to pick the girl up about three miles from here, the spot we always use. I want you and most of the rest of the clan to wait in the trees. As soon as we get the cash, we kill 'em and the girl. You know the drill."

I gasped in horror. White looked down at me once again, and the sides of his mask pulled upward in a grin. "No way you can stop it, girl. So I'd suggest that you hold your tongue unless you want it ripped out," He snapped, kicking me once again before walking off with Black and Green. I sat up, watching them go, but then turned my face back to the ground. All the while, the chains dug into my wrists.

I wanted so badly to cry. I wanted to cry in pain. Everything hurt; my head, my wrists, my abdomen, and my side. I wanted to cry for my hopeless situation. No matter how I looked at it, I was helpless and at the mercy of the Star Clan, who were going to kill me and my family as soon as they received their money. I wanted to cry for Taylor, who would've lived if I hadn't messed up.

I didn't cry at all, though. Not even a frown could be seen on my face. If I showed weakness in my final hours, then I would die without honor. So I held in my tears, glaring at my enemies as if looks could kill.

* * *

I must have been unconscious for most of the day, for the sun set soon after I woke. With the darkness came the clouds, and with the clouds came the rain. It didn't rain hard, but enough that my ears were filled with the sound of water falling on the canvas tents where the clan slept.

Thirsty after having no water all day, I turned my face upward and opened my mouth pitifully. Every drop was beads of refreshment down my parched throat. I felt the rain wet my face and hair, but it didn't bother me. I didn't care if I became soaked to the bone; besides, the cool water soothed my bruises.

"Ya know, you coulda just asked for water."

I whipped around upon hearing Black's voice. I shot him another glare, noticing the gauze and bandage on his lip, before turning the other way. I heard him mutter a swear word under his breath.

"Still not talking to me, are ya, Nakatsukasa-san?" He grumbled, mocking me a little before sitting down beside me. "I went through all the trouble of dragging you here instead of killin' you; the least you could do is just talk to me. Maybe even apologize for busting my lip open."

I tensed. Without turning around, I murmured softly, "Why?" I broke my personal vow to never give my enemies the satisfaction of getting me to talk, only questioning myself after the word was out of my mouth. I decided to simply hope that he hadn't heard me.

"What was that?" Asked Black. I almost felt like cursing myself.

"I said 'why!'" I shouted, whipping around to face him. Surprise etched across Black's face, reflecting my reaction to my own words. It was as if my lips were moving without my consent. "Why did you bring me here?! I should've died with my meister!" I yelled.

Black sighed. "Hey, quiet down. You wanna wake the whole clan?" He mumbled, looking towards the tents to make sure no lights came on. My eyes hardened even further, flaring with rage. He didn't even seem to care that he had killed a perfectly innocent boy. Before I could scream at him some more, the blue-haired ninja spoke again. "I didn't kill you because I want a demon weapon."

I stopped, my glare dying down, as he continued.

"I thought it'd be cool to have one, especially a kusarigama," Black said, sitting next to me and pulling his knees to his chest, "It's my favorite weapon. But Dad wants to kill you once we get your ransom cash," He muttered.

I frowned, turning to face the ground. "Is he the clan leader?" I asked quietly. I had assumed as much, because of how White had ordered Green around, but I wasn't sure.

Black nodded, a smirk growing on his face. "Yep. That means I'm the clan's future Star," He grinned, pointing his thumb to his chest. "I'll be the biggest man in the Clan. No, the strongest in the world! I bet I could surpass the gods if I wanted to! And I do! So HA!" He proclaimed.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I'd expect such arrogance from a Star Clan member. But underneath my irritation, I could feel an entirely different emotion. It took me a second to figure out what it was, but when I did, I initially felt disgusted with myself.

I admired Black.

I reminded myself that Black was just as despicable a killer as the rest of his clan. Still, he struck me as being different somehow. Maybe it was because he was just a boy, or that his strong personality reminded me of Masamune. Whatever the reason, I tried to distract myself from those feelings as I looked back up at him.

"Maybe I could convince my dad to let you live," Black thought out loud. He looked down at me, smirking. "I'm gonna try, anyway. I really want a kusarigama," His grin spread across his face. "Anyway, I brought this."

I had turned back to the ground, not wanting to listen to his selfish declarations anymore, when suddenly I felt the rain stop, although I could still hear it. I moved my head upwards, noticing then that Black had erected an umbrella in the ground beside me.

"There. I don't want my weapon catching a cold," He said. "Anything else?"

With the look he gave me, I was almost fooled into thinking that Black was actually kind. Even so, I moved my wrists towards him. "I can't feel my hands…" I said, and before I could barely blink, the blue-haired ninja was loosening my binds.

"Still don't want you escaping, but that should let the blood return to your hands without letting you transform," He said, and then stood. "That should be enough for tonight. Don't want you getting too pampered," He chuckled at his little joke as he walked back to his tent. I was about to lay down to try to get to sleep, when Black suddenly stopped. The young ninja then turned on his heel to face me, looking at me curiously. "By the way, I need my weapon's last name, Nakatsukasa-chan."

I leered at him a little for using such a term of endearment on me, but my lips formed my name before I had the chance to stop them. "Tsubaki. Nakatsukasa Tsubaki."

Black put his hands on his hips as he sounded out my name. "Tsubaki… I like it," He declared, grinning at me. "And as long as you promise not to make my lip bleed anymore, I might let you keep it instead of changing it to a color. Though 'Yellow' might suit ya, too. Just sayin'," He said before sauntering off. I sighed, laying down in the grass. I shook my head at myself.

"_How did that one boy, Taylor's murderer, get me to talk to him before I knew what I was doing?_" I closed my eyes, managing to fall asleep. "_Stupid boy._"


	4. A Careless Mistake

**I'm trying to make Black*Star as in-character as possible, but anyone's personality would be drastically different if they were raised by a murderer and trained to be a killer. So… Yeah. Rate and review!**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 4: A Careless Mistake**

* * *

I stared forward, my voice hoarse and soundless no matter how hard I tried to scream at Black. His back was turned to me, his sword raised. I ran, racing as quickly as I could, but if anything I seemed to be moving backwards. Even though I quickened my pace, my efforts were fruitless.

I could see Black clearly, although I seemed to be leagues away, and Masamune before him.

Suddenly Black changed his stance. He shot forward, slicing through my brother as if he were as easily cut as raw fish. My frantic cries died in my throat. My face twisted in agony, I watched Black charge onward, running his sword through a line of people that stood there like they were waiting for slaughter. Taylor, Mother, Father, all my other meisters, even civilians that I had only spoke with once or twice, they all simply stood there as they were brutally murdered. A river of blood began to pour from the massacre, flowing down until it lapped at my feet.

With no one left standing, Black came to a halt before a wall of mist. He stood entirely still for a moment, and I breathed a sigh of relief, believing the butchery was over. A sob soon followed, however, working its way up my throat until it spilled over, and the heart-wrenched cry poured from my mouth. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Black move once again, starting towards the fog before him, and I directed my tear-filled gaze back to him. My eyes suddenly widened in horror as what looked to be my own body stepped out from the fog to stand before the blue-haired ninja. Without a word, my doppelganger pulled her hair away from her neck, cueing him. I had stopped trying to scream. At that point, my sheer terror had left me speechless.

In one swift motion, Black's sword swiped my clone's head clean off her shoulders. The body fell limply to the ground, and Black bent down to pick up the head by its hair with bloodied hands before turning around. Facing me with an almost childish and innocent grin, as if he hadn't just committed homicide, he held up what appeared to be my own head.

"Wanna be my weapon?" He beamed at me.

My eyes snapped open as the end of my dream violently shook me from the folds of sleep. I could clearly hear my heart pounding from within my chest as a result of that nightmare.

"Yo. Nakatsukasa. Up," A harsh female voice snapped.

I turned my head to face her, but I was met with the underside of the umbrella that Black had set up last night. At that slight movement, I groaned slightly in pain. My entire body was stiff and sore, both from yesterday's wounds and as a result of sleeping upon the ground. The hunger that clawed at my empty stomach hurt as well, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything in over twenty-four hours.

"What's this darn thing doing here?" Muttered the voice again, pulling the umbrella out of the ground so I could see her face. Her blonde hair was cut short, and a purple headband was wrapped over her brow. She remained beautiful despite the harsh scars that were ripped about her skin, although her face was marred by a twisted scowl. She bent down, pulling another chain from off her belt and wrapping it around my wrist. After she did that, she undid the chains that had me bound to the stake nearby.

"I'm supposed to take you to the bath tent," She mumbled, hooking the other end of my new lead back on her belt. "Try anything and I won't hesitate to scar that cute little body of yours."

I nodded grimly, standing. The new binds were only wrapped around one wrist, slightly freeing my motion but keeping me from getting far away from the blonde. My new guard pulled the chain roughly, causing me to stumble forward, but I quickly regained my balance and began following her to the bath tent.

"Just get washed up and do whatever you need to do," She said. "The girls and the guys have separate bath tents, but all of us are already done," She explained. "The prisoner gets the last dibs."

I nodded, looking around as we walked. I tried not to make eye contact with anyone, but now I could get a better view of the temporary camp of the nomadic Star Clan.

Ninjas wandered back and forth; some rushing, some walking casually. There was a large pavilion positioned in the center of the camp, under which sat a fire pit with many ninjas surrounding it, each enjoying a hearty breakfast. The scents of omelets, steamed rice, and soup flooded my nostrils, causing my stomach to growl and my mouth to water in desire for a warm meal.

"Quit eying the food," My guard shot at me, yanking my lead. "You'll get your ration later, if there's leftovers."

I glared at her slightly, but then continued to observe the scenery around me. The center of the camp appeared to be nestled in a forest clearing, complete with the cook's tent, the pavilion, what appeared to be weaponry tents, the bath tents, and a larger one that I assumed belonged to White and Black. Additional tents that offered smaller living quarters were woven in-between the surrounding trees.

My guard pulled me over to a tent labeled "Women's Bath."

"Get in there," She muttered, shoving me in before closing the flap behind me. "You have ten minutes."

I huffed, but examined my surroundings. The area was humble and smelled of soap, but nothing particularly grabbed my interest as anything special until I discovered that the Star Clan had finally slipped up.

They had left a mirror in the corner of the room.

I walked over to the object, trying not to go too fast, but moving with more than a bit of urgency. That mirror could save me. With a mirror, or any reflective object, I could call Lord Death.

I picked up the glass carefully, breathing on it. I quickly wrote out the numbers in the remaining mist before it all faded.

_42-42-564_

I bit my lip, hoping that it would work and that it wouldn't make too much noise. When the mirror began dialing like a phone, I held it to my chest to silence it. My eyes darted around nervously, trying to figure out if anyone had heard me, but there was no indication of it. My guard didn't make a sound, and none of the ninjas outside seemed to notice, so I relaxed slightly. I pulled the mirror away from my chest when the vibrating stopped, and then I held it with one hand while holding a finger to my lips with the other.

As soon as Lord Death's image replaced my own reflection, hope welled up in my soul. I wasn't helpless. I could get help. I could get out of there. I might live.

The Grim Reaper must have seen the panic in my eyes and my indication for silence. He nodded once solemnly, prompting me to pull my finger away from my lips and whisper softly to the mirror.

"I don't have much time," I breathed. "I've been captured by the Star Clan. They killed Taylor." I felt a cry forming in my throat upon mentioning him again, but I pushed it down swiftly. I needed to get my message across, and fast. "They're holding me for ransom. Whatever they offer you, don't bring it, and don't come peacefully. They're planning on killing you-!"

"You're awful quiet, Nakatsukasa," Growled my guard, poking her head in and cutting me off as I whipped around to face her. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She had seen the mirror. "SHE'S CONTACTING THE REAPER!" She screamed, launching herself at me. I pulled away, my situation having suddenly grown desperate. I began wresting with my guard, trying to keep the mirror from her hands.

"I think we're near where my mission was supposed to be!" I said quickly, my eyes filling with panic as three more Star Clan thugs stormed in. "But if you come, be prepared to fight; they WILL kill you-!"

Before I managed to finish, the blonde ninja had wrenched the mirror from my grasp and flung it across the ground, where it was quickly smashed by the boot of another ninja.

I stopped struggling, going limp. I let myself get roughly hoisted up by two men, but that didn't quell my feelings of slight triumph. I had won a victory against the Clan and had outsmarted them. My defenseless attitude up to that point had been abruptly abolished; there was always hope, always a chance that my captors could slip up.

As I was harshly pushed back to my stake, I didn't turn my face to the ground. I glared at every single ninja that watched me. They all mocked me, yelled at me, and grumbled to their neighbors about me.

"She just leaked information to the Shinigami!"

"She gave away our position!"

"Kill her!"

"She's more trouble than she's worth!"

"I told you that Nakatsukasas always bring bad luck. Remember that Masamune guy I killed? He haunted my dreams for weeks."

That one ninja's words suddenly caught me off guard. Rage suddenly flooded my soul as I snapped my head around towards the voice.

"_Who just said that?!_" My inner voice screamed. My eyes scanned the crowd, seeing if I could find any clues that could point me to my brother's killer, but without warning, the crowd fell silent. I growled a little, but then I felt the swift sting of a slap upon my cheek. Furious, I turned my gaze forwards my aggressor, however I froze immediately upon looking him in the eye.

Black stood before me, his face the image of betrayal as he brought his hand down.

"You're… Trying to escape?" He murmured. His voice was full of disbelief, and his ignorance played with my temper. "You don't want to stay here? To be my weapon?"

I glared into the eyes of the boy before me, supposing that I would see conceit and idiocy. To my surprise, his green irises displayed entirely different emotions. Hurt. Longing. Loneliness.

I blinked, breaking the trance. Something was off about that boy. He didn't fit my stereotype of a Star Clan member, and was therefore interfering with my perception. I couldn't allow him to do that; it was distracting me from my goals.

I shook my head in response to his question. "No," I said quietly. I heard a small collective gasp from some of the Clan members upon hearing me speak, but I didn't care about them in that moment. My quarrel was with Black.

"How could I join the boy that killed my partner and watched my brother die?" I whispered. "You could kill other people, Black, and I'm sure you will. I don't want to be the tool you use for murder."

The pain in Black's eyes intensified for a moment. After a few mere seconds, however, his gaze hardened.

"Fine," He spat, "Be that way. I don't need you. I'll get Orange to make me a kusarigama that won't talk back!" He snarled at me, his anger rising. He then turned his attention to the ninjas that held me. "Don't feed her or give her water," He ordered.

My captors nodded. "Yes sir," They spoke unanimously.

Black directed his gaze back at me, green eyes ablaze with wrath. "Even after I sheltered you from the rain, loosened your chains, and got a girl to take you to the bath, you're still ungrateful," He grumbled. He swiftly faced his back to me as he began walking back to his tent. Without turning around, he added, "I wish Dad would just hurry up and kill you."

I couldn't explain why, but his words stung. I shook my head in an attempt to clear it.

"_He's just another Star Clan kid_," I thought. "_They're all murderous; they don't need a reason to decide to kill someone_," I reminded myself. Despite my cold resolve, I found myself sighing. If he was just a cruel Star Clan member, why did I feel guilty?


	5. Reversal

**I feel like the last few chapters have been a bit boring… Worry not! More action and breakthroughs in this chapter. Rate and review and tell me what you think! By the way, somebody's gonna be making a cameo…**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 5: Reversal**

* * *

Luckily, it rained again that afternoon, and I was able to drink a little from the downpour. But with the rain came wind. My wet clothes stuck to my skin, not guarding me from the freezing blast as I curled into a ball and shivered. Black didn't come with an umbrella that day, nor the next. My stomach constantly growled at me, but then it seemed to give up and became silent.

A day after I had called the DWMA, my own hope had begun to dwindle. Hunger, cold, pain, and thirst governed my thoughts. The sounds of the camp around me had faded into white noise as I laid on my back, staring blankly with dull eyes at the grey sky.

At first, when the flaming arrow flew through the air above me, I didn't notice. My tired eyes didn't register it as anything important. After watching it for a second, however, I determined that I was going delusional. I sighed, accepting that answer as I closed my eyes. I'd rather see nothing at all than delusions.

"_Next I'll be seeing ogres,_" I thought, telling myself a sad little joke.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" A voice screamed.

"_And there we go_," I said to myself, "_I'm imagining at the camp is being attacked by ogres. I'm beyond repair, aren't I? I never thought I'd be driven mad by hunger._"

"It's Shibusen troops!" I heard White shout. "Blue, Purple, Silver, and Brown! Pack up the camp quickly! The rest of you, hold them off!"

I opened my eyes slowly. Something sounded familiar in White's words, but I couldn't place it. In an attempt to understand, my parched lips formed the first strange word he had spoken.

"Shi… Bu… Sen?" I wondered quietly, my voice raspy and underused. I laid there for another moment, feeling the heat of the flames that had begun from the arrows. "Shibusen… The Academy?"

Clarity rapidly struck me like blow to the head.

The Academy had found the camp. They had come to save me.

I pulled myself up. Newfound strength was filling my veins upon gaining hope once more, and I wasn't going to lose it this time.

"Help," I struggled to speak, my throat dry. I coughed a little to clear it, and then spoke louder, working up my voice until I could scream. Despite the smoke from the fires that were sprouting up everywhere, I stood to look at the scene around me and to see if I could flag down any of my rescuers.

Upon seeing the state of the camp, I almost wished I had stayed on the ground. Carnage covered the clearing, friends and foes alike. I saw my guard lying still, with a man lying over her back. He had transformed his arm so that it was a blade that stuck through her shoulders. Neither of them breathed. Other Star Clan members fought the Academy, combating my comrades' brute force and numbers with the stealth and cunning of true ninjas. My vision was being shrouded, however, as smoke began to billow through the camp.

"I'm over here!" I cried into the smog, trying to get the attention of one of the Academy's agents. I saw someone's silhouette turn towards me, and they only hesitated a moment before rushing to me. I tensed for a moment, wondering if I had just pleaded with a Star Clan member for help, but Sid quickly burst through the smoke and extinguished all doubt.

My teacher charged forward. He reached me quickly, hacking with his machete at the chains between my wrists. Nygus held stronger than any blade I had seen before, and I was free after she struck the binds a mere three times. Jerking my hands free, I nodded in thanks to Sid. He nodded back.

"We need to go," He said swiftly, grabbing my arm. Gentler than any of the Star Clan members that had done so, he took special care not to touch my bruised and red wrists. I nodded again, following him through the burning trees. I then dared to glance behind me, taking one last look at my blazing prison.

My feet suddenly stopped without my consent. I felt Sid pull on my arm, telling me to move quickly, but my attention wasn't focused on him.

My eyes had caught Black, fighting against a scythe wielder. The girl moved forward, tearing at Black with her blade. The young ninja held his ground, though his chest heaved and blood spilled from many wounds across his body. He had been caught in a clearing, where his ingrained techniques of sticking to the shadows and hiding were useless.

Unknowingly, Black*Star left himself open for the smallest of moments. I saw the scythe meister's green eyes flash, seeing her opportunity. As soon as I noticed his guard drop, the moment her eyes glinted, I broke from Sid's grip. My feet carried me faster than I thought possible with my depleted strength.

But not fast enough.

The scythe plunged into Black's side, blood spurting onto the black-and-red blade and causing Black to cry out in agony. I gained a sudden burst of speed while the blue-haired ninja fell to the ground in unconsciousness. As the scythe meister raised her blade for a killing blow, my failing legs gave out from under me. I landed on top of Black's comatose body, and it was only then that I realized that tears were pouring from my eyes.

"DON'T KILL HIM!" I found myself screaming. Sympathy had begun to flood into my soul without my permission, but there was no stopping it now. "HE'S JUST A BOY!" I cried, shielding Black with my own body as I sobbed. "He's just a boy…"

The scythe meister stared at me, slowly lowering her weapon as Sid ran up behind her. I barely noticed them as I wept into Black's shirt, clutching it as if clinging onto his life.

* * *

"Eat up," Azusa said, handing me a bento box. I grabbed it almost instantly, shoveling food into my mouth with the chopsticks from the box. I didn't really care about my manners in that moment, nor did I realize until later that I had been given pickled vegetables that I didn't like. I was simply grateful to have food.

"I calculated the exact amount of food that a girl your size should eat as her first meal after getting starved for two days," Japan's Death Scythe continued.

Snickering was heard from the driver's seat of the small army vehicle, causing Azusa to glare at the perpetrator.

"Don't be such a nerd, Azusa," Joked Sid, glancing back at the truck bed before turning back to the road. "Just give her the food and let her eat."

Azusa adjusted her glasses haughtily. "I _did_," She muttered. The Death Scythe had been commanded by Lord Death himself to lead the attack on the Star Clan camp, and now that it was over, she was accompanying us back to Tokyo's Shibusen branch. It wasn't a school, but it was a base for troops and Japan's center of kishin-hunting operations, and from there we would take a private plane back to Death City.

I glanced down at Nygus, who was tending to the wounds of the comatose boy in my lap. His breath was coming easier now, and his injuries had been stitched up and the bleeding had stopped.

"He should wake up soon," The knife said in a gentle voice. She looked back up at me, catching me with my face full of rice. "I'm pretty sure that he's not going to be happy that you kidnapped him."

I shook my head before I swallowed my mouthful. "I didn't kidnap him, ma'am," I said, wanting to eat more fish, but I knew I shouldn't speak with my mouth full, especially to a superior. "I saved him. Both from that meister and from his Clan." That was what I had decided, but I didn't tell them why I had collapsed in a sobbing mess to rescue him from the scythe meister. Mainly because I didn't quite know why myself. Maybe intuition told me that he was different. Maybe it was because his eyes didn't hold the same blasé coldness that I saw in every other Star Clan member. Maybe it was because he was young, only just beginning to form his views on the world. Maybe those views could be changed.

Maybe it was because I was drawn to the one smiling face, that one child that still had a shred of human feelings such as loneliness and emotional pain. Maybe it was because I wanted to protect the boy that had shown me that not all murderers had a personality suited for killing.

I sighed. Whatever the reason, he was safe now. I wouldn't let him get hurt.

"I want to take him back to the Academy," I said quietly, pulling Black further into my lap after he had slid a little bit. Azusa crossed her arms.

"I'm still not sure this is a good idea," She muttered. "There's no telling if he'll like it or not. He could decide that he wants to go home and that he's going to kill whoever it takes to get there."

Thinking of the complicated relationship between Black and his father, I shook my head. "I don't think he'll be that desperate to go back," I expressed.

As I spoke, the truck apparently hit an outsized pothole, and the sudden motion jarred every passenger. Nygus bounced a little, my bento box capsized, and the ever-stoic Azusa swiftly fell on her side.

"Sorry!" Called Sid from the driver's seat. "Couldn't swerve around that one."

I sighed, looking down at the scattered contents of my lunch. It was only after a few seconds that I noticed a pair of sea-green eyes staring up at me.

Black had been woken by the impact.

We kept each other's startled gazes for a minute, long enough for Nygus and Azusa to realize why I had suddenly grown quiet. Black's face then quickly twisted into a scowl as he touched the bandages on his side.

"What did you sick freaks do to me?" He growled, jumping up from my lap. I startled, flinching a little at the sudden hostility after seeing him sleep so quietly. Sleeping, he had looked innocent and young. Suddenly he had turned into a scarred mass of fury.

"Where am I?!" He shouted, his narrowed eyes darting around the interior of the truck. When they settled upon the Reaper Skull emblem on Nygus' bag, all the rage drained from the boy's face for a moment to be replaced by horror. "No…" He said slowly, taking a step back. "I've been captured by-!" The truck suddenly juddered again, cutting him off as Black was knocked to the floor. His head hit the wheel well, causing him to hiss a little at the pain as he clutched his head. I gasped, swiftly making my way over to him.

"Black! Are you okay?" I asked gently, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He glared at me, swatting my hand away.

"I don't want _your _sympathy," He spat. I frowned, pulling away, as Black turned to glare at the two other girls. "You better take me back right now or I'm jumping out of this rattletrap," He snapped at them.

Nygus couldn't understand Japanese, but I could tell that she felt the hostility in Black's words. She slowly reached for the stun gun in her pocket, getting prepared in case he tried something. Azusa glared right back at him.

"You won't," She muttered, adjusting her glasses again so that they caught the glare of the sun coming through the window intimidatingly. "You should be grateful; Tsubaki here saved you from certain death."

Black turned to face me again. "Like she'd help me," He grumbled. "She hates me. Betrayed me."

I directed my gaze towards the floor. "Sorry," I whimpered. Without warning, Black grabbed my scarf and yanked me towards him, while his other hand reached into his boot and rapidly pulled out a kuni knife. He whipped around, facing a wide-eyed Nygus and a fierce-looking Azusa.

"You turn around and take me back to Dad right now or her throat gets slit!" Shouted Black. There was something different in his eyes now. Hidden behind his rage sat… Anxiety? Panic? I thought I could even see a small amount of hesitation.

"_He doesn't want to kill me,_" I understood. "_He still holds a small hope that I can be saved; that I'm not a lost cause._" Despite my position, I relaxed slightly."_Just like I think of him._"

Nygus reacted quickly. She whipped out her gun, shooting Black in the shoulder with such a swift motion that I could barely follow it. The young ninja glanced down in surprise when he saw the dart now protruding from his upper arm.

"Stupid Shibusen…" He mumbled as he lost his grip on my scarf and his knife, falling into the truck bed once again. Azusa sighed.

"This isn't a good idea," She scolded me, speaking in English again as to not confuse Nygus anymore. "We should just drop him off at a police station and be done with him."

I shook my head, pulling the unconscious teen into my lap once again. "No," I said. "I can help him. I can change him, I promise."

Sid finally spoke up. "That's for Lord Death to decide," He uttered gravely. The rest of the truck's passengers immediately fell silent. We all knew he was right, but I believe I was the only one that hoped that the Grim Reaper would let me help Black.


	6. Fight or Flight

**Sorry for the little hiatus, guys. I've been trying to work on some oneshots, and I went to a con that smothered my entire weekend in otaku-y-ness. These chapters will probably be coming kinda slowly until I learn to manage my time better and stay off tumblr. Also, I'm going to be pretty busy writing my works for the Soma and Kirona weeks after this chapter… Sorry, but I like to plan ahead. Don't worry; I'll keep writing this one too ;) (Insert disclaimer here)**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 6: Fight or Flight**

* * *

Black didn't wake up before we got to Japan's Shibusen base, but Azusa didn't want to take any more chances with him. As soon as the truck stopped, the Death Scythe instructed me to take Black to the hospital wing.

"What do you plan on doing with him?" I asked, holding the boy to my chest protectively.

Azusa raised an eyebrow at my action, but then rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I can't figure out why you're so defensive of him," She muttered, partly to herself, before she addressed me. "If you insist on taking him back to the States, then I have an idea to keep him from jumping off the plane. But first I want to ask Shinigami-sama if it's okay to keep him."

I nodded, stepping out of the truck after her, but with a slight air of irritation. "He's not a pet you just 'keep,'" I mumbled to myself, but followed the Death Scythe. I also took that opportunity to look around the base. It was a fairly standard military base, seated in a forested valley, with a few large buildings. Mostly, however, there were just hangars for the trucks and planes. I saw other trucks arriving behind us, and I paused to watch for a moment.

"Tsubaki!" Called Azusa from the entrance to the hospital building. "We don't have all day!"

I turned, nodding in her direction before walking swiftly over. She nodded once in approval, before leading me inside. Within the two-story building was a series of plain-looking hallways and doors. The lights on the ceiling buzzed slightly, faint but loud enough to be heard over the dull noise from outside after Azusa closed the door.

"This way," She said, glancing back at me once as she motioned for me to follow her down the hall. All the rooms looked the same to me, and I wanted to put Black down. My arms were getting tired from holding his deadweight; my strength hadn't entirely returned from my imprisonment. She must have noticed my fatigue, because Azusa stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Just put him on the exam table in that room," Mumbled the Death Scythe, pointing to the room directly to our right. "I was going to take him to the room with the large mirror and the special equipment, but we can make do with a small one, and I'll get bring the things in there. All right?"

I smiled appreciatively, pushing open the ajar door. "Thank you," I said hurriedly, setting Black down on the table. Noticing a water fountain near the door, I walked over and drank gratefully.

Azusa came back after a moment, carrying a small metal box. I was about to ask what was inside, but before I could speak, Azusa had strutted over to the window and the sink above it. She breathed on the glass surface before quickly writing Lord Death's number in the fading mist. I gulped with anticipation as I directed my gaze towards Black. I had been trying to not worry about what the Reaper might think of him, but suddenly the confrontation that I had been dreading was forced upon me with no prior warning.

The mirror rang as if it were a phone, its surface rippling until it shifted entirely, revealing the profile of Lord Death.

"Hiya!" The Reaper burst out. "Hello! Nice to see ya! What's shakin'?"

Azusa cleared her throat. "Lord Death, Sir," She addressed him, bowing slightly in respect. "The mission to recover Tsubaki Nakatsukasa was successful. Shibusen experienced three casualties in the encounter. Incidentally, we also happened upon the body of Taylor Linde. We shall return him, and the other bodies, to their hometowns to be seen off by their families."

I couldn't help the sad smile that spread across my face at Azusa's report, nor could I hold back the small tear that escaped my eye at the mention of my late meister. I wiped it away swiftly, but upon glancing up, I discovered that I was being watched by both Azusa and Lord Death. I straightened up immediately, folding my hands behind my back.

"So how are you, Tsubaki?" Asked the Reaper gently. "That must've been quite the nasty experience."

I took a deep breath, beginning to shake at the mention of my captivity. Azusa adjusted her glasses, seemingly passive.

"Lord Death, if I may," She said, glancing between the mirror and myself, "If you could please keep the talk of her situation to a minimum. She shows some symptoms of post-traumatic stress," She explained.

Lord Death tilted his head to the side for a moment, but then quickly straightened up. "Oh! Yes! Sorry, sorry Tsubaki!" He exclaimed. "Anyways, I see that you are alive and well. Aside from that and your report, Azusa, was there anything else you wished to tell me?"

Azusa nodded, looking pointedly at me. "Ms. Nakatsukasa has a request," She stated.

I gulped, staring into the hollow eye sockets of Lord Death's mask. "Well…" I began slowly, sweat beading on my forehead, "You see…" I took a deep breath again, trying to calm my nerves. "Can I bring a Star Clansman back to the Academy?"

That was it. The cards were on the table, and my hand was a risky one.

The Grim Reaper remained silent for a couple seconds as he seemed to consider my decision. The only noises that could be heard were the minimal buzzing of the overhead lights and Black's gentle breathing. Both I and Azusa held our breaths as we awaited Lord Death's decision.

"Hm…" Began Lord Death, putting a hand under his chin in a contemplative pose. "Hm… Hm. Well…" He spoke slowly, hanging Azusa and I in suspense, "Well… What's their name?"

I found myself gaping, and Azusa did the same. Was that really the question to be asking in that situation?!

"Uh," I stammered, "Uh… His name's Black," I spoke.

Lord Death snapped his giant fingers. "Black! A good, basic name. The Star Clan reuses names like that; there are only so many colors, you know," He chortled. "I remember one time, when the Star Clan became excessively large, and they had to use the oddest names. One was named Heliotrope, another Mauve, there was even a Carnelian…"

"Lord Death," Azusa said, cutting him off. She looked as if she was trying to hide her irritation with her superior. "I believe you're getting off-topic."

The Grim Reaper tilted his head for a second time, this time to the other side, but he straightened up again just as quickly. "Yes, I suppose so. You're such a spoil-sport, Azusa," He muttered before turning back to me. "Now, tell me exactly why you wish to bring one of your captors home. For interrogation, perhaps? This can be done."

I shook my head. "No, Sir," I murmured. This was it; the moment of truth. Time for me to find out why I had brought Black back to the base. "I… He's a strong fighter," I determined, but somehow, the words didn't seem right. "He could be a valuable addition to the Academy's forces, if he's shown a different philosophy. If he can learn to unlock the potential of his soul, then I believe that he can be a good person. He's young; he can change," I finished. My sentences sounded foreign on my tongue, however; that wasn't the reason I had saved Black at all. It had never been a question of personal gain, or even gain for the DWMA.

It had been for Black, I realized with a tightening in my chest. I had wanted to rescue him, both from the scythe's blade and from the cold clutches of his Clan. I had seen something in his eyes that was innocent, despite his bloodied hands. He didn't belong in the Star Clan, and he didn't need to be killed for their crime of raising him to be a murderer.

Lord Death seemed pensive for another moment, as if waiting for me to sort out my thoughts. "Well… That sounds valid," He said. "But, what if he can't be changed? He may be incurable."

I shrunk back a little. It seemed natural that he'd ask that, but I wasn't quite prepared to answer. Luckily, before I needed to respond, the Reaper continued.

"How about I give you one month?" He proposed. "In that allotted time, he shall not be treated as a prisoner, but an equal. If he doesn't show a personality change in that time, then we shall treat him as a typical Star Clan member, and he shall likely be interrogated for information regarding his clan," He said.

My face lit up. I was being given a chance. Black was being given a chance.

"Yes sir," I responded quickly. "I'll agree to that." I added softly, "He can change. You'll see."

Lord Death nodded once. "If anyone can reform him, it's you, Tsubaki," He said. "Now, I have some business to attend to here. I trust you'll fly into the city within the next twenty-four hours, right, Azusa?" He asked, turning to the Death Scythe, who nodded.

"I'll remain here, sir," She said, "But I'll send your troops home."

Lord Death clapped a little. "Wonderful, wonderful!" He chirped. "I'll see you then, eh, Tsubaki? And your little Star friend. Ta-ta!" With that, the mirror's image shifted once again until all that remained were our own reflections.

Azusa turned around with a sigh. "If Black's going back to the DWMA, then he's going to have to get on a plane willingly," She muttered, halfway to herself. "In that case, I'll need to inject him with depressants. He'll be fine, just subdued, like people get when they get their wisdom teeth taken out or something," She explained, flipping open the metal box she had brought in earlier to reveal a set of syringes. She grabbed one, inspected it for a little bit, and then turned around and strode over to Black. "This should be enough to hold him until you get back to Death City," She stated, grabbing Black's arm none too gently. I paled slightly as she injected him; I don't like needles.

She pulled the syringe from Black's arm as soon as it was drained. "That should hold him," She mumbled, walking over to the small sink to clean the needle. "He'll be out for a little bit longer. I'll stay here and watch him, if you'd like to explore the base a little. Just don't touch anything," She growled with a hint of venom in her voice, causing me to flinch. I nodded swiftly and made my way over to the door, but turned around when I reached it.

"And… He'll be okay?" I asked as I glanced over at Black, who was still out cold. I frowned a little bit at the prospect of leaving him for any amount of time.

"I'll keep a special eye on him," Azusa assured me. "Don't worry; I won't dissect him." I thought I heard a bit of a joke in her voice, but it's hard to tell with the stoic Death Scythe. I thanked her quietly before following the hallway outside. As much as she scared me, I trusted Azusa with Black.

Upon stepping outside, I was hit with the sounds of the base once again, and I took a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. It worked to a small extent. It was then that, without warning, I spotted a familiar set of blonde pigtails out of the corner of my eye.

It was the scythe meister that had struck Black.

I narrowed my eyes a little, but she didn't look malicious. Rather, she was smiling as she talked to the red-eyed boy that followed her. He mumbled something that caused the smile to drop from the girl's face, however. She huffed a little, turning away from the boy so that her vision accidentally met mine. I could tell that her eyes were softer than they had been during the fight earlier, but they widened in surprise when she saw me.

I turned my face downward, pretending that I hadn't seen her, but I had already been spotted.

"Hey!" I heard her shout, causing me to glance up at the girl as she ran towards me. She stopped directly in front of me, looking me over, as the boy she had been speaking with lazily trailed behind her.

"You're the girl from earlier, right? The prisoner that we were sent to help," Asked the blonde gently. Not meeting her gaze, I nodded. Her expression became apologetic. "I'm sorry all that happened to you," She said. "Getting kidnapped must be pretty traumatic; do you want a soda?"

I looked at her, confused as she pulled a soda can from her messenger bag. "It's not very cold, but soda makes me feel better," She smiled sweetly as she held the can of grape soda out to me. I smiled a little.

"Thanks," I said softly as I accepted the drink. She giggled a little.

"Looks like you can speak," She joked slightly. I found myself relaxing while I opened my soda and sipped it. This girl seemed nice enough; it was hard to believe that she had almost killed Black earlier.

I nearly choked on my drink. That memory was still fresh in my mind, and it still hurt. I repressed it, trying to not relive that horror. I took a deep breath once more and tried to focus on the present.

"Oy. Maka," The white-haired boy muttered, striding up to us. I flinched; I didn't want more people. "Isn't this the girl who was an emotional wreck earlier?"

I cringed back in slight fear when I witnessed the blonde grab a book from her bag and slam it into the boy's skull. "Be nice, Soul!" She snapped.

The white-haired teen, apparently named "Soul," groaned. "Well, she did," He replied. "She stopped you from killing that Star Clan punk. I mean, what kind of nut job tries to protect their captor after being freed?"

The girl pursed her lips. "It's still no reason to be mean!" She told him. She turned back to me again, her expression now a sheepish smile. "Sorry about my partner," She apologized.

"It's okay," I said softly. So that boy was her partner, meaning it was likely that he was the scythe she was using to fight Black. Maka's expression reverted back into a friendly smile.

"So what's your name?" She inquired gently. Looking at her cheerful and friendly face, my anxiety began to fall. She didn't seem resentful of me for having kept her from killing Black; in fact, she seemed concerned for me. I found myself smiling back.

I opened my mouth to speak and reply to her question, when I was abruptly interrupted by slurred Japanese.

"Heeeeeeeeey, Tsubaki."

I whipped around, suddenly meeting the eyes of a rather sleepy-looking Black. The sedatives seemed to be working well. I noticed Maka and Soul stare at him as the young ninja stumbled up to me and clung to my arm.

"I hate… You," He garbled, glaring at me dispassionately. "You… Ungrateful lady."

Maka's mouth moved up and down a few times before any sound came out. "Is that… The boy from before?" She faltered.

I sighed once more, nodding as Black looked up at me.

"Get me meat buns," He demanded. I hoped that the drugs would wear off soon.


	7. Doubt and Secret

**Look; I'm updating! Sorry this is so delayed; blame the SoMa and Kirona weeks. But I'm back now! I just have to get into the swing of writing this again…**

_**Palette**_

**Chapter 7: Doubt and Secret**

* * *

Lucky for Black, there were meat buns in the cafeteria. I managed to grab some for him before we had to load up into the plane, and he was still chomping loudly on his second bun before the plane took off.

"Black," I scolded him slightly, "You're supposed to be buckled in."

The drugged ninja pouted. "But I wanna look out da window," he slurred, "Why do you get the window seat?"

I sighed. "Do you want to switch?" I asked softly. He nodded eagerly, and with difficulty I moved around him to the aisle seat. He hopped eagerly into the seat by the window, staring out at the runway as the plane began to take off. I inwardly thanked Lord Death, who was nice enough to provide his bases with actual jet planes and not uncomfortable army aircraft.

"Have you ever been on a plane before?" I asked Black, to which he shook his head.

"I've seen 'em," He said, "Flyin' over the woods. But most of da time they're only real high up in da sky," He said. "Never been in one."

I frowned a little. "But I thought the Star Clan was supposed to be rich," I said. "They… _You _do anything for money, right?"

Black shrugged. "Yeah, bu' we don' really spend it," He replied, accidentally leaving out a few t's. "We kinda… I dunno, keep it. Hoard it. Kinda like, um…" He paused, and I was about to leave the subject alone until he was in his right mind when he burst out, "Pirates! Yeah! We is kinda like pirates." A grin split across the blue-haired boy's face as he turned to me. "Tree pirate ninja bounty hunters! Really strong and awesome tree pirate ninja bounty hunters."

I smiled back at him, but the expression was forced. Even in his subdued state, he seemed so proud of his clan. I began to wonder if maybe that was just his nature, that he was killer and proud of it, and that was his instinct. There was no doubt that those thoughts had been ingrained in him from a young age.

"_Why did I believe there was a spark of something different_?" I sighed to myself, while Black distracted himself with the world rushing below the small window. "_One act of kindness doesn't mean that he's a good person. He could've been trying to bribe me by offering the umbrella._"

I watched him idly, and my hand supported my head as my elbow sat on the armrest. His sleepy yet eager eyes watched the treetops pass below us.

"_But he's here now_," I reminded myself as I set my jaw. "_I _will _try to reform him. I'll do all I can for him. And if he doesn't turn his life around after that,_" I frown slightly, "_Then at least I can say that I tried my hardest on a lost cause._"

"Hey, Tsuba… Tsu… Lady?"

Black's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Your name's hard," He stated dizzily, and I smiled a little at his intoxicated self. I questioned for a second how he could go so quickly from being disturbing to being innocent, but I shoved the thought aside for the moment.

"Is that all, Black?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nope," He replied. "Where we goin'?"

I frowned. He had lashed out so lividly the last time he had been told he was going to the Academy, and I doubted he'd fare much better in his subdued state. However, I decided to comply anyway. If I didn't, he'd just keep asking, and it'd be better to get it over with.

"We're going to Shibusen in Death City," I told him.

Black's mood immediately turned. He groaned. "But I dun wanna go there!" He protested. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the back of the seat in front of him. "Wanna go home. Mom told me to never leave the clan withou' orders," He grumbled.

I followed his motions closely. He didn't seem very hostile, but I didn't want to slip up, so I decided to try and change the subject. "Is your mom back with the clan?"

To my surprise, Black chuckled. "'Course not, doofus," He retorted. "She's gone."

That ever-tightening feeling of sympathy flooded my common sense again. No matter how hard I tried, the blue-haired ninja could always find a way to make me sorry for him. It made me feel weak, and I didn't like it. Nonetheless, I pressed forward. If he was baiting me, I had fallen for his lure.

"What happened?" I asked.

Black turned his gaze back to the window. His words caused my eyes to grow wide, and I immediately jumped back. "I killed her."

My fingers quickly curled into my palm as I snapped my hand off his shoulder. A monster. That's all I saw in him in that moment: a monster that kills without remorse, one that even killed his own mother.

"She's gone now," Repeated Black. His large mouth split into a loud yawn. "Beyond the stars…" His voice trailed off as his eyes slid closed.

Despite his calm, my heartbeat had sped up to a panic-driven hammering. I couldn't believe what I had done. I had trusted a monster. I had saved a murderer. I had sheltered a beast. I had defended a killer.

And that boy was next to me on a plane. I curled up onto my seat, cursing my long legs which made it impossible to get comfortable on any plane. I fell asleep watching him, waiting for him to move as our plane flew to meet the night.

* * *

I jerked awake suddenly when a rough hand grabbed my shoulder. My eyes snapped open, and I found myself staring into furious green irises.

Black had slept off the drugs.

"You drugged me," He growled. "You thought you could get me to come quietly."

I gasped as his hands flew to my neck. "Well, I've got news for you," He hissed. He took a deep breath, and utter dread pierced my soul.

"Please don't," I whispered, but it was too late.

"I AM THE MIGHTY BLACK OF THE STAR CLAN!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, "AND I NEVER DO ANYTHING QUIETLY!"

Groans sounded from all over the plane as others were roused from their sleep.

"TAKE ME BACK TO JAPAN RIGHT NOW!" He yelled.

"Black, please," I pleaded, hoping to appeal to the ounce of sympathy within him. I had less belief in that fragment every passing second. "Just sit down. We can't go back. I bet we're flying over California now," I murmured.

Black's eyes narrowed. "THEN TURN THE DANG PLANE AROUND!" Screamed the young ninja. "I'M NOT GETTING OFF THIS PLANE UNLESS IT'S BACK IN JAPAN!"

Calm words weren't going to work, I realized. I could still try to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen to me unless I spoke with assertiveness and authority.

"Black," I snapped, bringing my own hands on top of his to try and loosen his grip, "There is no way to turn this plane around. We're going to Death City, and unless you cooperate, you'll be shot down the minute you step out of this plane," I told him. Black seemed startled for a brief second, until he opened his mouth to yell more, but I cut him off. "Furthermore, this plane is packed full of weapons and meisters that you just woke up. They're not happy with you, and I'm sure that many of them wouldn't hesitate to hurt you if you disturb them again."

Black glared at me. "Black Star never goes down without a fight," He shot back, but I could tell I was subduing him.

I shook my head. "You're already down," I spoke.

Black's harsh look fell. Instead, he stared into my eyes, motionless except for the slowing rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. I pulled his hands from my neck with ease, placing them calmly at his sides.

"Now, get back into your seat. When we get to Death City, I expect you to be on your best behavior," I said. He narrowed his eyes at me again.

"Dad's the only person that can tell me what to do," He shot back, but climbed back into his seat anyway. He crossed his arms and legs, brooding. I took a deep breath, leaning back into my own seat. Black was proving even more difficult than I had thought.

"_What did you expect?_" I scolded myself. My expression twisted into a guilty grimace as I turned away from him, facing the isle. However, when I saw all the glares the other passengers were shooting me, I turned my face down into my lap. There was no escaping the hostility coming at me from all directions. Black, everyone on the plane, even Azusa's voice joined in on the throbbing reprimand in my head.

"_What have you done?_"

* * *

I blindly searched through my carry-on for my apartment key. "This is where you'll be staying," I spoke gently to the ninja behind me. He huffed in irritation as I finally managed to locate my rubber peach keychain. I mentally reminded myself to thank Azusa; she had retrieved all my baggage from my hotel and had made sure I got it before we set off.

"Why would I want to stay with _you_?" He snapped. I frowned, but kept my cool while I struggled with the lock.

"Because you're my responsibility now," I replied. That knob never would unlock correctly the first time.

"I can handle myself," He retorted.

I paused, taking a deep breath. I refused to give in to his sass and lose my temper at him. "Yes, but you're in an unfamiliar city and country, not to mention you have a bad record. I don't really want to leave you alone," I said. The lock finally clicked open. "I'm grateful that you stayed quiet for the rest of the flight, though."

Black shoved past me, barging in. "I don't need your gratitude," He barked. "I hate you."

I flinched a little, but swallowed my hurt. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. "Well, I'm providing you with a place to live and free food. I would be grateful."

The ninja plopped himself on the couch, his arms behind his head. "Whatever," He brushed me off as I toted my bags back to my room. "Why don't you live in the girl's dorms, anyway? Doesn't Shibusen have those?"

"Yes," I replied, calling to him from my bedroom as I unpacked. "But you can't choose your roommate in the dorms. I'd prefer to live alone," I said. Before he could retort, I added, "But I don't mind sharing with you. I volunteered for this, so I'm going to accept whatever happens with you," I tried to smile, in an attempt to boost my confidence. He didn't reply, and I paused for a moment. There seemed to be no way to get him to open up.

"_There is one solution,_" I thought, but then sighed. "_I don't really want to, but we'll never get anywhere if I don't._"

I finished unpacking quickly, and then headed back to Black, although I was surprised when I found him doing inclined push-ups with my couch.

"Black?" I spoke, trying to get his attention. He paused for a moment to shoot me an evil eye, while his arms bent and his face near the ground. I would've been shaking in that position, but his body seemed as stiff as a board. His gaze turned back to the carpet below him as he resumed his workout, adding in the action of clapping each time he pushed himself up. I took that as a cue to continue.

"I want to make a deal with you," I proposed.

Black didn't even glance at me this time. "What about?" He muttered. "Better be good; you made me lose count."

I sat in the chair adjacent to the couch, setting my hands in my lap. "I think, that if you're willing to give the Academy a try for a month…" I began, but he groaned and cut me off.

"Not this again," He growled. "Shut up about Shibusen already. I hate you, I hate them, and if you think I'm gonna put on my best behavior just because you offer me money or whatever, then you've got another thing comin'," He proclaimed.

I flinched a little at his words, but then I took a deep breath to steady myself. Then I spoke, "For as long as you remain loyal to Shibusen, I'll be your weapon partner."

Black's head whipped around, his wide green eyes staring at me. It wasn't the best of moves, because he did it in the middle of clapping. He fell back onto the carpet, one arm twisted under him. I gasped.

"Black!" I exclaimed, rushing over to kneel next to him as he sat up slowly. To my surprise, he didn't object when I gently took his arm and inspected it. The only protest he gave was a slight hiss of pain before he spoke.

"Do you mean that?"

His arm didn't feel broken, I realized with a sigh of relief. I nodded.

"I do," I murmured. "Lord Death offered you a month to stay under my protection. After that, what they do with you depends on your behavior." I gulped inwardly. Now that I had put the situation into my own words, it sounded a lot more hopeless than I had thought.

But, as if to dispel my doubts, Black's face suddenly split into a huge grin. "I get a chain scythe!" He cheered. The young ninja leaped to his feet. "YAHOO!" He abruptly yelled, loud enough that I had to cover my ears.

Just as quickly as it had happened, Black's joyful outburst ended. The grin fell from his face, and he blinked as if disoriented. "I mean, uh… Awesome," He mumbled, sitting down on the couch.

I smiled a little at him while I pulled my hands away from my ears. "Only for as long as you serve the DWMA, though. There's a condition," I explained.

Black rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter. By the time the month's up, Dad'll come to take me home, and I'll bring you with me," He said. The blue-haired boy smirked. "If you're my weapon for that long, you'll be so infatuated with me that you won't be able to imagine leaving me, so you'll come with me," He predicted confidently.

Although I wasn't exactly thrilled with his words, I was still enthusiastic. His disposition had changed, at least for that moment, and that was progress in my eyes.

Black threw his arms behind his head and one knee over the other, reclining on the couch. "Oh, yeah. And I want you and everybody else to use my full name," He announced.

I turned around to face him again, in the middle of the act of walking into the kitchen. "You mean… Black Star?" I asked. He nodded.

"I want to be reminded that I'm Star Clan. I won't forget where I came from, or who's coming to rescue me, or where I'm going back to," He said. He looked straight into my eyes, and once again they sparked like stars. I shrunk back a little, intimidated by those mesmerizing stars. I didn't really want to agree to that wish, but keeping him content was my greatest priority. If he was content, he'd be relaxed. If he was relaxed, he'd be comfortable. If he was comfortable, he'd be more open. If he was more open, I could get him to join the Academy. As a result, I nodded.

"All right," I said, forcing a smile, "Black Star."


	8. Author's Note

**I know I said I wouldn't do this again, but we have ourselves a problem.**

My muse is dead for this fic. Entirely gone. I barely know what I'm doing with it anymore. I've even thought about deleting it.

Actually, though, I'll keep it up. I feel like a horrible person for saying this, but** _Palette _is discontinued until further notice**. I just don't know how to work with this anymore, and my muse is anywhere but here. I'm leaving it up for feedback, so maybe one day I'll continue it. But as of I right now, I can't do this.

**I'm really sorry, everyone.**

**~cronashy-absentia**


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